SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – On Thursday, Optum and The Speedy Foundation welcomed 30 participants to a Mental Health First Aid training course held at the Palmer Court Branch for missionaries serving with the Inner City Mission. It was one of several courses available throughout the year, at no cost to participants, through a partnership between the two organizations to help families and individuals in the Salt Lake community recognize the warning signs of a mental health or emotional crisis, and learn about resources available to assist people in need.
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CAPTION - Participants at the recent Mental Health First Aid training course held at the Palmer Court Branch learn to listen non-judgmentally, give reassurance and utilize community mental health support resources.
Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour course that teaches people how to identify the most common signs of mental illness including depression, anxiety disorders and substance use. Participants learn an action plan to help someone in crisis, including how to assess the person for risk of harm or suicide, listen non-judgmentally, give reassurance, and encourage the person to seek professional help.
“People are often trained to know CPR or the Heimlich maneuver or first aid, but you’re just as likely to come in contact with someone who is suffering from a mental or emotional crisis,” said Julie Hardle, a certified Mental Health First Aid facilitator and the Recovery and Resiliency Manager for Optum Salt Lake County. “If people are trained to recognize and assist someone who might be facing a mental health or substance use crisis, it increases the chances that the person will access the professional care they need to reach recovery.”
The Speedy Foundation, an organization dedicated to preventing suicide through education and outreach in the community, partnered with Optum in 2015 to deliver free Mental Health First Aid training courses throughout the Salt Lake community. Optum manages Salt Lake County mental health and substance use services through a contract with the Division of Behavioral Health Services. The partnership provides qualified leadership, logistical support, printed course materials and awareness campaigns for the 8-hour courses.
“Signs of mental illness can be difficult to detect, and even when we know something is amiss, we may not know what steps to take to help someone get the support they need,” said Shannon Decker, co-founder and president of The Speedy Foundation. “We are committed to working with Optum to increase awareness about suicide prevention and assist people throughout the Salt Lake area who are affected by mental illness.”
“In the course of serving the poor and needy in Salt Lake City, our missionaries often encounter individuals struggling with a mental health or substance use issue,” said Allene Ross, Vice President for Inner City Mission. “This training teaches them what to look for and how to respond when someone is in crisis, so they can help the person get the care they need to overcome personal challenges and get back on their feet.”
Mental Health First Aid training is especially good for teachers, social workers, religious leaders, first responders, coaches, law enforcement and other community partners. Local community members can get involved with Mental Health First Aid training by raising awareness and attending a future course at no charge.
For more information on upcoming courses to be held in the Salt Lake City area, contact Julie Hardle at julie.hardle@optum.com or call (801) 982-3217. For immediate assistance with a behavioral health crisis, call the Salt Lake County Crisis Line 24 hours/7 days a week at (801) 587-3000.
About The Speedy Foundation
The Speedy Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing suicide, supporting mental health and promoting conversations to end the stigma surrounding both. It was formed in 2011 in the loving memory of Jeret “Speedy” Peterson, an Olympic freestyle aerials medalist whose life was characterized by his service to others. Peterson lived and trained in the Utah Olympic Park for 19 years; he also battled depression and took his own life in July 2011 at age 29.
About Optum
Optum is a leading information and technology-enabled health services business dedicated to helping make the health system work better for everyone. Optum manages Salt Lake County mental health and substance use services through a contract with the Division of Behavioral Health Services.
About Inner City Service Mission
Inner City Service Mission was organized and functions for the purpose of assisting the poor and needy under the direction of bishops and branch presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Inner City Mission service missionaries, usually married couples, help individuals overcome personal challenges, improve their lives and get back on their feet financially so they can focus on their spiritual progression. Approximately 400 couples are currently serving as Church-service missionaries in the greater Salt Lake City area to assist bishops and branch presidents of 29 stakes by teaching principles of temporal self-reliance that leads to temporal and spiritual well-being.
MEDIA CONTACT: Juliann Fritz at jfritz@riester.com or 435-640-8379
